Super heroes have been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe it’s because being a mom and a business owner makes me think I must need super powers to keep it all together. Or maybe it’s because I desperately want to help other people feel like a hero in their own lives. Not sure, but either way, it would be nice to be a super hero, or at least wake up every day feeling a little super-human.
Imagine starting out your day with the first thought, “I am going to save the world again today”…and be truly excited about it.

Imagine being able to simply show up, without any significant training, to offer help to people who really need it. More importantly, how amazing would it be to be able to walk away knowing that your contribution only made you stronger.

Growing up I never fantasized about being a superhero. She-Ra was big when I was a kid, but I just couldn’t get past Skeletor to really appreciate her. (however, I just recently found out that she’s He-Man’s twin sister…how cool that they are twins!)

What I did want to be was a police officer. I want to be the hero in a blue outfit who came in and saved the day for families who were in crisis or suffering. I wanted to go get the bad guys. That dream only lasted a year or two- but it goes to show that every little boy and girl wants to grow up to save the world. I wanted my super power to be to eliminate suffering and pain from the world.

Am I the only one, or did any of you have a secret super power wish?

I think there are four things that make super heroes so great (besides the outfits):

1) They know who they are and what strengths make them unique

2) They harness their power for good

3) They have a team or ally that has their back

4) They recognize their Kryptonite

In Part One of this series, let’s explore the first superhero feat. Knowing who you are.

Identity is a big topic. We glean our identity from our parents, our circumstances, and the stories we are told that help us make sense of our experiences. Deepak Chopra says “Every encounter shapes our identity”. What makes the difference is how we respond to our daily encounters.

You might ask, what does “knowing who I am” have to do with being healthy or getting fit?

Great question! Because until you can really know what you want, you have to know what you believe and why things are important to you! Start with Why is a great book, captured in the TEDx talk of the same name. Simon Sinek uses this talk and book to teach others about how great leaders inspire action. It’s not because they have a great plan, or a great way of doing things- it is because they have a dream that they contagiously share with others in a meaningful way.

When was the last time you thought about the big WHY around what is motivating you to take action in your life? Is it really losing weight or fitting into your jeans, or could it be that you want more spark in your life so you can pursue your life passions with zest?

In the movie “The Incredibles”, there is a scene where Helen (AKA Elastigirl) is parenting her son Dash, who has a super-fast super power, to keep his talents under the radar. The need to fit in is actually keeping this “super-power” family from being able to express their true identities. What I love, is that Elastigirl is doing everything she should do to keep her family safe, but ultimately, she has to own up to her unique powers and use them.

What unique powers are you silently letting slip under the radar because of the should’s in your life?

I challenge you to this Super Hero Mission: When you feel yourself shrinking or dimming your light, stop, close your eyes and breathe in a deep long breath. As you exhale- think the word “open” and let your body do whatever it needs to follow its next impulse. Instead of closing up or shutting down, use this long deep breath to appreciate something and start opening your mind to possibility.

Sometimes we get so caught up in reacting to everything around us, that we forget to stop and trust our body and mind to what we need to express- the truth of our greatness.